Automatic switching device for street-railway cars



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. J. TITUS.

AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR STREET RAILW'AYGA-RS."

No. 588,036. Patented Aug. '10, 1897.

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(No Model.)

B. J. TITUS.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR STREET RAILWAY CARS.

Patented Aug. 1,70 1897.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR STREET RAILWAY CARS.

No. 588,036. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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B. J. TITUS. AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR STREET RAILWAY CARS.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheefis8heet 5. B. J. TITUS. AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICEFOR STREETRAILWAY CARS.

' Patented Aug 1 0, 1897= maron, u. c.

u u w a H W L m. o w w s n m w s a a o n 5 u UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

BENJAMIN JAMES TITUS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR STREET-RAILWAY CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,036, dated August10, 1897.

' Application filed November 19, 1896. Serial No. 612,761. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may cu/wer/t:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN J AMES TITUS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Detroit, in the county of IVayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticSwitching Devices for Street-Railway Cars; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in automatic switches forstreet-railway cars and the object is to provide a simple and reliabledevice of this class.

To this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described,and particularlypointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference-numerals indicate thesame parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of the track and switch. Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the car-truck with the platform removed. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the car and track. Fig. at is a longitudinal sectionon the line of one of the car-switch levers. Fig. is a simi lar view onthe dotted line a a of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a similar view on the sameline, showing the parts in a difierent position. Fig. 7 is a similarview on the same line, showing the manner of throwing the switchingdevices out of operation. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the car-wheelwhich automatically operates the switch-lever. Fig. 9 is a verticaltransverse section of the same. Fig. is a similar view taken at a rightangle to the section shown in'Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a detail section ofthe side opposite to that shown in Fig. 7.

1 represents the car-platform, 2 2 the side beams, and 3 3 thecross-beams, all of which are supported on the longitudinal truckbeams 44 by the usual springs 5 5.

6 6 represent the usual journal-boxes, secured to the beams 4t 4 bystud-bolts 7 and springs 8 in the usual manner.

9 9 9 and 10 represent the car-wheels, fixed on the axles 11 12,journaled in the boxes 6 6. The wheels 9 9 9 are of the ordinaryconstruction, while the wheel 10 is formed with an integral rectangularhub 13 on its outside. 14 14 are guide-brackets secured on the 7 outsideof the wheel, their rabbeted parallel ends 15 lying parallel to thecontiguous parallel sides 16 of the hub 13.

17 represents a plane frame, the central parallel arms 18 18 of whichhave a longitudinal sliding movement in guide-brackets 1 1 ll. One endof this sliding frame 17 is provided with a fixed transverse stud 19,the end 20 of which extends through a radial slot 21 in the wheel, andthe opposite end 22 is engaged by the free end of a C-shaped spring 23,secured to the outer face of the wheel 10 by a screw 24, the tendency ofthe said spring being to keep the stud 19 in toward the center of thewheel. The opposite end of this frame 17 is provided with a fixed arm25, the V-shaped inner end 27 of which projects through a slot 26 in thewheel. This V-shaped end 27 of the arm is located on the inner face ofthe wheel and a short distance inside of the periphery of the flangeofthe wheel.

28 is a transverse shaft mounted in the side pieces 29 29, and 30 is awheel fixed on said shaft and revolving with it. This wheel is formedwith a series of rectangular radial teeth 3, and 32 is a check-springsecured at one end to the bracket 33 on the side piece 29, its free endbeing formed with a V-shaped tooth 34, which is adapted to rest betweenany two contiguous teeth and prevent back motion of said wheel.

35 is a longitudinal slide-bar mounted in guide-slots 36 36 in'brackets33 33, and on one side of said bar is pivoted a gravity-pawl 37, thefree end of which is provided with a notch 38, adapted to engage one ofthe teeth on the wheel 30 to move the wheel and shaft 28 a distanceequivalent to one tooth.

39 is a guide-rod rigidly fixed in the brackets 33 33 a short distancefrom and parallel with the slide-bar 35, and 40 is an arm fixed on saidbar, its projecting end encompassing said rod and sliding freely on itas the bar is reciprocated.

41 42 are spiral springs encompassing said rod, the spring 41 beinglocated between the bracket 33 and one side of the arm 40, while thespring 42 is located on the opposite side of the arm, between it and thebracket 33, and as the bar 35 and arm 40 are moved forward the spring 41is compressed. When the bar is released, this spring restores the bar toits normal position,the spring 42 acting as a cushion to break the jarof the returning bar.

43 represents a longitudinal lever, its rear end being fulcrumed by abolt 44 to the forward end of the bar 35, while the forward end 45 ofsaid lever is supported in guide-br-ack ets 46, fixed to a transversebrace 47 on the forward end of the truck.

48 is an elliptical spring centrally secured in the upper end of saidbracket 46, its free ends serving to press the end of the lever 43 downin the guide-bracket and at the same time allow it to rise vertically asoccasion requires.

49 is an integral detent on the lever 43 in line with the stud 19 on thewheel 10, but normally out of its path, so that as the wheel revolvesthe stud 19 just clears this detent 49; but if the stud 19 be pushedoutwardly from the center it then travels in the path of the detent 49,engaging it to force the lever 43 forward, which in turn draws the bar35 and pawl 37 forward with it, which rotates the wheel one tooth. Afterthe stud 19 has released the detent 49 the spring 41 restores the barand lever to their normal position.

50 51' are the rails of the main track, and

51 51 are the continuations of the same.

52 52 are the switch-rails extending to the right-hand side, the rail 52being continuous with the maintrack rail 53 53 are the switch-railsextending to the left-hand side, the rail 53 being formed continuouswith the-main-line rail 50.

54 is a longitudinal fixed bar extending above and parallel with therail 50. 55 is a similar bar running parallel with the switchrail 53,and 56 is a bar, similar to the bar 55, extending parallel with the rail52.

Assuming that the car is on the rails 50 50', the wheel 10 being on therail 50, as said wheel revolves the end 27 of the arm 25 on the frame 17comes in contact with the railbar 54. This forces the arm 25 in towardthe center, and consequently forces the stud 19 on the other end of saidframe 17 out from the center and into the path of the detent 49 on thelever 43 to operate the slide-bar 35 and turn the wheel 30 one tooth, ashereinbefore described, and as this operation takes place at everyrevolution of the wheel 10 it follows that the number of times the wheel30 and shaft 28 are operated depends on the length of the fixed rail-bar54.

57 and 58 represent two disks fixed on the opposite ends, respectively,of the shaft 28, and the peripheries of these disks are provided with aseries of arbitrarily-arranged lugs 59.

60 is a bell-crank leverfulcrumed on a bolt 61 in the side piece 29, itsshorter vertical arm 62 being provided with a friction-roller 63, whichrests against the periphery of the disk 57, while its longer horizontalarm 64 extends forwardly alongside of the car-wheel on the said side ofthe truck.

65 represents a friction guide-wheel journaled in the outer end of saidarm, its beveled edge 66 extending on the outside of the rail 50" andnormally a short distance above it, which is its position when the arm62 rests against the periphery of the disk' 57 between the lugs 59. If,however, the disk 57 is turned so that one of its lugs rests in linewith the end of the arm 62, the lug forces the arm outward, therebythrowing the horizontal arm 64 downward, so that the beveled face 66comes in contact with theoutside of the rail 50, causing that car-wheelto follow the course of the rail 52', thereby switching the car aroundonto the right-hand switch-rails 52' and 52, after which the end 27 ofthe arm 25 comes in contact with the rail-bar 56, which, as beforedescribed, rotates the shaft 28 and moves the lug 59 out of contact withthe arm 62. A spiral spring 67 restores the lever 60 to its normalposition and raises the guide-wheel 65 above the surface of the rail. 1

A similar bell-crank lever 60 is mounted on the opposite side of thetruck, its shorter tends horizontally alongside of the car-Wheel 10, andits forward end is provided with a beveled friction guide-wheel 65, sothat when it is lowered by the action of the disk 58 it engages theoutside of the rails 50 53 and conducts the car onto the left-handswitchrails 53 53.

If neither of the guide-wheels 65 or 65 is down to engage its respectiverails, then the car continues its straight course from the rails 50 50onto the rails 51 51. A spiral spring 68 serves to restore thebell-crank lever 60' to its normal position after it has been releasedby the lugs 59 on the disk 58.

69 represents a horizontal lever fulcrumed in a bracket 7 O, securedunderneath the car- .platform, its rear end resting under the forwardend of the lever 43 and said forward end pivoted to a bar 61, extendingvertically upward through a slot in the guide-plate 62, secured to thecar-platform. In its normal position this bar 61 projects a shortdistance above the car-platform and within convenient reach of themotormans foot, in which position the lever 43 is free to be operated bythe wheel mechanism heretofore described. When it is desirable to throwthis automatic mechanism out of gear, the motorman presses down on thevertical bar 61 and pushes it forward to engage its notch 64 in theguide-plate 62', which retains it in this position. This movement throwsthe rear end of the lever 69 upward and raises the forward end of thelever 43, which lifts its detent 49 out of the path of the stud 19 onthe wheel 10, and consequently the shaft 28, disks 57 and 58, and theirrespective bell-crank levers, carrying the guide-wheels 65 65, retaintheir normal position, and the car is neither guided to the right northe left, but continues its journey onto the straight tracks 51 51.

70 represents a bell-crank lever fulcrumed on the truck-frame, itslonger horizontallycurved arm 71 resting on top of the forward end ofthe arm 64 of the bell-crank lever 60, while its shorter vertical arm 72is pivoted by a connecting-rod 73 to the short ar1n'7 4 of a verticallever 75, fulcrumed on a bolt 76, secured to one sideof the truck. Thehandle 77 of this lever 75 extends upward through the carplatform, onone side-thereof, and within convenient reach of the motorman. A similarbell-crank lever 70, having a curved arm 71, is in contact with theforward end of the arm 64 of the guide-lever on the opposite side of thetruck, the shorter vertical arm 72 of which is connected by a rod 7 3 tothe lower arm 7 4 of the hand-lever 75, and it will readily be seen thateither one of these hand-levers 75 7 5 may be operated to depress theirrespective track guide-Wheels or 65 to engage the rails, as hereinbeforedescribed, and switch the car to the right or left, as desired,independently of the automatic means for controlling said trackguide-wheels 65 65, as above set forth.

From the above description it will be seen that a car equipped as setforth and traveling over a track such as described and provided with thefixed track-bars, such as 54, 55, and 56, would travel over an entirepredetermined route, switching to the right or left, as occasionrequired, without any attention whatever from the motorman or requiringan attending switchman. Should it be necessary in an emergency to changethe route of the car, the motor-man by controlling the hand-levers 75 75, as set forth, can direct its course over the rails to the right orleft at will.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relativearrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire tobe confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made asclearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from thespirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a car-truck the transverse shaft 28, a toothed wheel 30 fixedtherein, a slide-bar 35 provided with a pawl 37 adapted to engage saidteeth on the wheel 30, a lever 43 pivoted to said bar 35, and providedwith an integral detent 49, the car-wheel 10 formed with the slots 2126, the sliding frame 17 secured to said wheel and provided with thestud 19 and arm 25 27, the disk 57 provided with the lugs 59 fixed onthe end of the shaft 28, and the bell-crank lever 60, its shortervertical arm 62 in operative contact with the periphery of said disk 57,and its longer horizontal arm 64 provided with a guide-wheel 65extending forward of the axle of the car-wheel 10 and parallel with thetrack, in combination with the rails 50 50 and 52 52, and the fixedlongitudinal track-bar 54, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a car-truck the bell-crank lever 60 having its horizontal arm 64provided with a guide-wheel 65, the bell-crank lever in operativecontact with the said arm 64, the rod 73, and the vertical hand-lever75, in combination with a car-track substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a car-truck the car-wheels 9 and 10, the latter of which isprovided with a sliding frame 17 formed with a stud 19 adapted to beautomatically operated by a track-bar 54, in combination with the lever43 having detent 49 located in the path of the stud 19 on the wheel 10,the slide-bar 35, pivoted to said lever 43 and provided with a pawl 37,a.

toothed wheel 30 fixed on a shaft 28 and in the path of said pawl 37,the disks 57 and 58 fixed on said shaft 28, the bell-crank levers 6O 60,the shorter arms of which are in operative contact with said disks andtheir longer arms extending parallel with the rails, and provided withguide-wheels 65 65, the lever 69 having its free end in operativecontact with the free end of the lever 43 and its opposite end pivotedto a vertical bar 61, the upper end of which projects above thecarplatform, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

BENJAMIN JAMES TITUS.

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD WILDMAR, WEBSTER G. CAMPBELL.

